Measuring the democratic quality of radio news: experiences from Liberia

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Beteiligte: Spurk, Christoph, Lopata, Sharon, Keel, Guido
In: Journal of African Media Studies, 2, 2010, 2, S. 173-192
veröffentlicht:
Intellect
Medientyp: Artikel, E-Artikel

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Umfang: 173-192
ISSN: 2040-199X
1751-7974
DOI: 10.1386/jams.2.2.173_1
veröffentlicht in: Journal of African Media Studies
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter:
Kollektion: Intellect (CrossRef)
Inhaltsangabe

<jats:p>There is a general consensus that media are an essential element of democracy if they fulfil particular quality requirements in their reporting. Abundant literature deals with media quality from a theoretical perspective, but empirical knowledge on journalistic practice with regard to its role in democratization is rare, and this is even more so in the case of African countries. First, this article seeks to assess the quality of radio in Liberia, which is the country's most popular medium. Second, the article tests a specific methodology in order to measure the contribution of radio to democracy. It argues that radio stations in Liberia strongly differ in their quality, each with specific shortcomings. These findings are confirmed by interviews with civil society representatives and by audience research.</jats:p>